The PlayStation Vita goes on sale in the UK tomorrow, and Asda has jumped in just in time with an offer sure to tempt bargain hunting gamers.

The supermarket is offering the Wi-Fi-only Vita for £197, either in store or if you buy online. That's a saving of £33 on the RRP of £230. If you find Sony's new handheld anywhere for cheaper... buy it. Then let us know -- we had a good look round and couldn't find anywhere else under £200, but other supermarkets are yet to announce their deals.

HMV also has a pretty good offer. Trade in your 3DS and it'll give you £132 towards a Vita, meaning you can bag the Wi-Fi-only version for £98. You'll also get a copy of either FIFA Football or Uncharted: Golden Abyss thrown in.

To see how the PS Vita stacks up against the competing gaming handhelds, check out our video below. You might be surprised at the results...

The Vita is currently dominating the pre-order chart over at Amazon UK's games store. The Vita, its games and accessories account for a ridiculous 14 out of the top 20 positions in the games category.

"The release of a new console is always big news and the buzz created around the new technology and enhanced gameplay has ensured that the PlayStation Vita is a bestseller in our charts before it has even been released," said Liz Hosmer, manager of video games at Amazon. The retailer is undercutting the RRP for the Wi-Fi-only version, selling it for £210. The Wi-Fi and 3G model costs the recommended price of £260 at Amazon.

The Vita's success is far from guaranteed. Even with this new lower price it's still more expensive than the iPod touch. The touch's games are also far cheaper, or free in many cases. The touch is much smaller and has better battery life too. Luke Westaway argues the Vita is no match for Apple's device, and I'm inclined to agree. With a slew of quad-core phones and tablets about to touch down at Mobile World Congress, I think the days of dedicated gaming consoles are numbered.

Do you agree? Or will you be buying a Vita? Let me know below, or on our Facebook page.

About the author

Joe has been writing about consumer tech for nearly seven years now, but his liking for all things shiny goes back to the Gameboy he received aged eight (and that he still plays on at family gatherings, much to the annoyance of his parents). His pride and joy is an Infocus projector, whose 80-inch picture elevates movie nights to a whole new level.
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